Loving You
by An Empty Room Can Be So Loud
Summary: Elizabeth is the new girl in EastHigh and hottie James Tyler is flirting with her behind his girlfriend Belle's back. Starring Sharpay as Liz, Troy as James, Gabriella as Belle. Now COMPLETE.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter One**

**Of**

_Loving You_

-LY-

_I hate you, mom!! _was the thought that was running through Elizabeth Walker's mind. Her mom had recently been offered a job by a fashion company. She had to move to Alberquerque to get the job. _Of all places, it had to be Alberquerque!_

Don't get her wrong, Elizabeth didn't hate Alberquerque or anything, but it was miles, miles, MILES away from her friends back in New York. She was planning a visit there this summer.

Now, not only did she have to go to a new school, but she had to make new friends. _Thanks a lot, mom!_ She really, really, really didn't like the way things turned out. First of all, she was waiting in the cold for her bus to arrive. _Where is that flippin' bus?!_

Then she saw a flash of yellow turning the corner. "Finally!" cried Elizabeth.

The bus pulled over and stopped. "Get on, chickie," grumbled the buslady. Elizabeth rolled her eyes. She scanned the rows of seats that were almost full except for a one next to this... boy. He had dirty brown hair and was wearing an open shirt over a basketball uniform. He was talking on the phone.

Elizabeth made her way towards him. He looked just like all the boys back at her school. _Boys. _Elizabeth had a flashback to her boyfriend's teary face. He was the one that was crying the most when she left. Tears started to well up in her eyes but she forced them not to fall.

"Hey. Can I sit here?" she asked the boy on the phone. He didn't seem to be listening to her. She cleared her throat.

"Wha-" was all James Tyler said before realizing he was talking to the most beautiful girl he had ever seen. More beautiful than his girlfriend, Belle. More beautiful than Kate Moss. He smiled. "Sure. Sit."

The girl smiled back and took the seat. He thought that she would maybe stare at him or start a conversation, because most of the girls did that. They were attracted to him. He was voted most popular _and _most hottest boy last year. But she didn't. The girl didn't stare or start a conversation. She was listening to her iPod. James found himself staring at her and trying to start a conversation, instead of vise versa. But the girl couldn't hear him talking to her.

-LY-

Elizabeth walked through the halls of East High, not knowing where the heck English class was. She looked at the map the principal had given her again. Then she looked up. _Oh_.

She walked into the room and set her books down on a free table. The teacher hadn't come yet, thank goodness. She looked at the scene of the class. There were paper airplanes flying through the air and cliques chatting away. Elizabeth took a look at the girl next to her. She had black, wavy hair and her eyes were sparkling. She looked like a Latino girl.

"Hey, I'm Elizabeth Walker. I'm new," Elizabeth smiled. The Latino smiled back. She had a sweet and innocent face. Like she could say and do no wrong. Elizabeth stuck out her hand.

"Belle Jones," said the girl and shook Elizabeth's hand. Something diverted her attention to the door. Some_one_, actually. It was the boy that Elizabeth had sat next to in the bus! What was his name?? Jack? John?

Whoever it was slid into the seat next to Belle and kissed her. The kiss lasted for a while, until the boy realized that Elizabeth was staring at them. His eyes widened and Elizabeth thought he was mad at her. But then he hugged Belle and actually, _actually_ gave Elizabeth a piece of paper with what she assumed was his number. Elizabeth tore it into pieces and threw it in the bin.

She saw the boy's eyes widen again and she doubted that he was mad at her.


	2. Chapter 2

_I'm gonna get her no matter what. I'll break up with Belle if I have to _thought James as he walked to Elizabeth's locker, where Elizabeth was checking herself in her locker mirror.

"Hey. Elizabeth, right?" he asked coolly. When she didn't answer him, he asked her again, in a louder voice.

Elizabeth sighed and closed her locker. "_Yes_. Elizabeth." She then turned around and began walking to the chemistry lab.

"Hey! Wait up," James cried as he ran towards her. But unfortunately, he slipped on a banana peel and fell smack on his butt.

Elizabeth giggled. "If you were trying to impress me... You failed," was all she said before turning around again and entering the chem lab.

"Darn it, James! You didn't act like this with Belle! Or the other five girls before her," James muttered under his breath.

-LY-

Elizabeth was doodling again. It was a habit of her's. She was just good at drawing, she couldn't help it, could she? She felt a pair of eyes staring at her. She whipped her head up, just in case a teacher was glaring at her. But, no, Elizabeth's English teacher was still at the board talking about grammar... she thinks. Then she turned around and saw the most beautiful set of hazel eyes there were. Too bad they belonged to that cheating liar, James Tyler. She really had to tell Belle what he did this morning. She still couldn't believe he had actually offered her his number. Did he really expect her to date him behind her best friend's back?

She shot him daggers and turned back to her doodling. She loved to doodle animals, especially cows, chickens and horses. But this time she found herself doodling hearts. _Hearts?_

-LY-

"Look, Elizabeth I have been trying to get your attention since this morning. Why won't you just let me take you out on one date? Just one!" cried James in frustration.

Elizabeth laughed. "You honestly can't expect me to date my best friend's boyfriend behind her back. No, I'm not that kind of girl."

His eyes sparkled. "Then what kind of girl are you?"

"I'm the kind of girl who doesn't go behind her best friend's backs and dates her boyfriend. Now will you please stop following me?!"

"No, I will _not _stop following you. Not until you say yes to a date with me. Please? What do you say? Friday night at eight?"

"Ummm.." Elizabeth crinkled her nose. "No." She spun around and tried to run away but James grabbed her arm.

"Elizabeth! Please!" he cried. He was desperate for one date, just _one _date.

"I'm sorry, James, I can't do it to Belle," Elizabeth sighed and managed to release her arm from James' grasp.

"What if I break up with her?"

-LY-

**Friday night **

Elizabeth kept fidgeting with her watch. She had twisted it around her wrist ten times in the past... minutes. "You're sure you've broken up with Belle?" she asked seriously.

James just laughed. "Yes, I'm very, very sure. Now will you just relax?"

A waiter walked up to their table and placed menus infront of them. "May I recommend today's special, which is steak served with..."

As the waiter continued to recite practically the whole menu to James, Elizabeth kept on twisting her watch around her wrist. She kept thinking about Belle and how furious she was going to be when she found out. Elizabeth was going to tell Belle, of course. She couldn't hide the fact that she and her best friend's ex were dating from her best friend (if you didn't understand that last sentence, let me put it like this: Liz couldn't not tell Belle that she – Liz - was dating her ex.).

-LY-

After a dinner of steak with steamed vegetables on the side, James walked Elizabeth home. It wasn't a long walk. He didn't even have to drive there. He didn't have a driver's license or a car anyway.

When they reached Liz's front steps, James leaned in for a kiss. But nothing touched his lips. He opened his eyes and looked around. Elizabeth was no where to be seen. He must have looked like an idiot, leaning with his eyes closed and lips puckered.

He grumbled as he walked along Elizabeth's paved driveway. Then something hit him on the back. And another something hit him on the back. He looked at what had hit him on the back, which were crumpled pieces of paper. He looked up and saw Elizabeth grinning from what he guessed was her room.

"Hah! You looked like an idiot out there," Elizabeth laughed.

James decided to laugh, too, so it wouldn't seem like he had no sense of humour. "Why didn't you kiss me?" he called up to her, but Elizabeth had already dissapeared and the window was shut.


	3. Chapter 3

Elizabeth still hadn't told Belle about her and James' date yet. She was feeling too guilty. Maybe she'll tell her tomorrow, at lunch. So Belle couldn't really scream at her with all the people around. Right now, it was already midnight and Elizabeth still hasn't forgotten the way James had wanted to kiss her.

Was she really falling for her best friend's ex?? No she couldn't be... It was too much to think about. She pushed it all out of her mind and went to sleep.

-LY-

**Lunch**

"Hey.. I heard about your break-up with James," Elizabeth told Belle with a symphathetic look.

Belle looked at her with a confused look on her face. "What break-up? James and I never broke up. Who did you hear that from?"

Now Elizabeth was the one with a confused look. "You mean.. you and James didn't break-up?" _Did James lie to me?!_

"No, in fact we had a one hour talk on the phone yesterday. He said he went to visit his aunt earlier that evening and he asked me out tonight!! I can't wait," Belle giggled.

Now my emotions were a mix of anger and sadness. _James lied to me!! I can't believe him, _thought Elizabeth. What's more, she can't even believe she had believed him.

"Liz? Are you alright? Your face looks reddish. Are you allergic to anything in the food?" Belle asked Elizabeth with a concerned look.

"Umm.. I think I need to go to the bathroom for a while.. See ya at drama class!" I said and dashed out of the cafeteria.

-LY-

**Drama Class**

"Now I will seperate you into groups of three and each group will perform a play written by _moi_," said Ms Darbus, their drama class teacher also known as the 'drama mama'.

Elizabeth, Belle and James were in one group. _Whoop-de-do_, thought Elizabeth. She stared at her script. It was about a woman finding out that her husband had been cheating on her with another woman. _Just perfect!_

Belle was cast as the woman and James was cast as the cheating husband and Elizabeth was the woman the husband was cheating on.

"Brad! How could you do this to me?! I don't believe you," Belle said, slapping James gently across the face.

James rubbed the spot where Belle had slapped him. "Look, Marie, it didn't mean anything!"

Then it was Elizabeth's turn to slap James, only she slapped him harder. "So I don't mean anything to you at all?!" _It felt good to slap James,_ Elizabeth thought.

Then it was time for Belle to break down in tears. "What's wrong with me, Brad? What does she have that I don't? Why did it cause you to cheat on me?"

Elizabeth couldn't help but stare at Belle. What if she told her that James was cheating on her.. with Elizabeth? Would she break down in tears, too? She was thinking so much that she had forgotten her next lines.

James whispered into her ear, "It's your turn to say something!"

Elizabeth pushed him away and cried, "Get away from me, you lying jerk!"

Ms Darbus looked up at her in surprise. "I don't remember that in the script!" she said flicking throught the script.

"Umm.. I just made that up," Elizabeth lied. The truth was that Elizabeth hated how James' breath tickled her ear and how good his breath smelled.

"Excellent! That's good!" Ms Darbus said, pleased with what Elizabeth had done. "Next group!" called Ms Darbus before Elizabeth's group had even finished their play.

Elizabeth, Belle and James took they're seats in the school auditorium. Elizabeth sat next to James.

"Why didn't you break up with Belle?! You lied to me!" she hissed in his ear.

"Look, I'm sorry but I just couldn't do it. I love her too much and I don't want to hurt her," whispered James.

"Well then we're done," Elizabeth replied moving to another seat.

**James' Point of View**

I can't believe I just dumped the girl of my dreams – who was prettier than Kate Moss – for my girlfriend who wasn't even as pretty as Hilary Duff.

I can't decide. I want both of them. Elizabeth's like the pretty and wild one while Belle was the sweet and always-there-for-me one. Then I turned to look at Elizabeth who was chatting with my best friend, John Fowler. They looked like they were having an interesting talk. Then Elizabeth and John laughed and stared deeply into each other's eyes.

No! No!! I couldn't lose the girl of my dreams to my best friend! That would be horrible. So I looked Belle in the eye and said what I thought I'd never say. Ever. "I'm dumping you, Belle."

And I also never thought that I'd ever see Belle's face like that. Her mouth was wide open and it looked like she was going to cry. Her was was all red. Then she burst out laughing.

I stared at her with a confused look.

"You're joking, right?" she laughed and wiped her eyes. "You almost fooled me!" She laughed harder, but when she didn't see me laughing, she stopped.

"You're really dumping me?" she said softly.

I stroked her hair. "I'm sorry B. I'm just attracted to another girl," I confessed.

"But you said.. you said you would always love me no matter what. We've been dating for five years – five years! – and you want to break my heart now?" she said, tears running down her cheeks.

"I know Belle.." I started but she cut me off.

"No you don't know! You don't know how I feel. You don't know what it's like when you think you love someone but they don't love you back," she cried.

Ms Darbus turned towards us. "Silence, please."

-LY-


	4. Chapter 4

**Elizabeth's House**

Elizabeth had just got back from track practise. She was sweaty all over. Her sports bra was sticking to her body. Her track coach had asked the team to run five rounds around the school field. And the school field was really really really wide. If Elizabeth had known, she'd never have joined the track team. She collapsed onto the couch.

Just when she had thought she was finally relaxing, the doorbell rang and what do you know? James was there. He kept on staring at her body, which was half bare, since she was wearing a sports bra.

Elizabeth cleared her throat. "Yes??" She hated when boys stared at her. Especially _this _boy.

"Oh! Uh.. I dumped Belle.. for you," said James. He was waiting for Elizabeth's reaction.

It took a while for Elizabeth to process what James had just said. He dumped Belle.. for her? That had to be the sweetest thing anyone has done. So she just grabbed his neck and gave him a passionate kiss right there at the front door of the the Walker home.

**Belle**

I can't believe James dumped me! After five years of being together! Right now, I'm on my way to Elizabeth's house, maybe she can cheer me up.

I arrived at her house in five minutes since I live only ten blocks away. I knocked on the door but there was no answer. I tried the bell but it wasn't working. I knocked again. I checked their mailbox to see if I got the right address. Yup, Walkers.

Maybe Elizabeth hadn't come home from track practise yet. But I doubted that since track meets ended at four and it was now four thirty. The windows seemed to be open so I sneeked a peek.

I know it's rude to peek into people's houses but what I saw was worth peeking. It was Elizabeth. She was on the couch.. with James. She was lying down and stroking James' hair affectionately. James was kissing her neck. Both of them were – thankfully – clothed only Elizabeth was wearing a sports bra...

I was so mad at both of them. So she was the one that James had been attracted to. What did she have that I didn't? Heck, what was I talking about? She was definitely prettier than me and wilder than me. Because I'd never be caught in a million years making out on a couch with my boyfriend... or my best friend's ex!!

I picked up a rock and hurled it through the window. I made sure they saw my angry/sad/hurt face to make them guilty.

Elizabeth definitely saw me and looked very guilty but.. James? He was kissing Elizabeth's ear. What a jerk. I wonder what I ever saw in him. I wonder why I hadn't wondered that in the five years we were together. I simply ran the ten blocks back to my apartment building.

**Elizabeth**

I pushed James off me and sprinted out the door. I was a good runner – or so Coach Lena says – so I was able to catch up with Belle. I grabbed her shoulder and pulled her back.

"What do you want?!" she yelled in my face. When she turned around I could see that her face was red and blotchy. Her eyes were red, too. Tears fell on her cheeks. I felt so guilty to be caught kissing James. Why in the world had I not closed the windows? If Belle had not seen us, I'm sure someone would have.

"I'm sorry, Belle. Really, I am!" I said. I was close to tears myself. I couldn't believe I had hurt my best friend.

"Well that's too flippin' bad!" she screamed in my face and slapped my hand away from her shoulder. I was so startled that I stumbled back a bit. Belle kept on running.

**The Next Day**

"Hey Liz," James said and tried to kiss Elizabeth but she ducked before his lips touched her's.

"I can't do this, James. I can't do it to Belle," Elizabeth sighed.

"But I'm not with Belle anymore!" James cried in frustration. The whole weekend had been like that. James had kept on calling Elizabeth to ask her out but Elizabeth just declined and said that 'she could not do it to Belle anymore.'

"I know, I know," Elizabeth said. "But.. she is – was – my best friend. Friends don't do this to friends."

"But you did," came a voice.

Elizabeth turned around to see that it was Belle. "Oh my gosh! Belle.. I've been wanting to talk to you since Friday! I'm so sorry Belle I really am," Elizabeth said.

Belle's expression was blank. Then she turned to James and slapped him.

"Ow," James said an rubbed the spot where she had slapped him. "What??"

"How insensitive can you be?! You just broke my heart and all you can say is 'What?'!" cried Belle. "What does she have that I don't? What's wrong with _me_? If you told me, I could have changed! I was ready to sacrifice anything for you, James! I gave you my heart! I might as well die now since you already broke it!"

"Belle.. I.." James said but trailed off.

"Belle.. I' what? You can't even find any words to apologize. That's how insensitive you are. You're just like that.. John Tucker dude," Belle said.

Elizabeth laughed when Belle said that James was just like 'that John Tucker dude', but Belle didn't think it was very funny. She glared at Elizabeth.

"And you, Elizabeth! I thought you were my friend! I thought I could trust you but all you are is just a liar. A liar! For all I know, you could have even been using me just so you could get to James!" Belle cried.

"Belle.. no! I'd never ever ever use you!" Elizabeth cried. She was crying now, but she didn't care. She just wanted Belle to be her friend again. "Please.. I'll dump James if it means being your friend again. Heck, I don't even know what I was thinking. I wasn't thinking. I can't believe I let a boy mess up our friendship. Your friendship is more important to me than some.. John Tucker dude."

Belle giggled. James lookes shocked. Elizabeth was hoping Belle would take her back as a friend. The bell rang.

-LY-


	5. Chapter 5

**Elizabeth**

I rushed to keep up with Belle. The bell had just rung and we had the same class. "Belle, wait!" I called.

Suprisingly, Belle turned around. "We can't talk now. We have to get to class," she said and walked into the class.

It was creative writing class. It's supposed to be my favourite class but today I just wasn't in the mood.

Mrs Danoise handed out sheets of blank paper. "I would like you to a) write down the worst thing you have ever done to anyone in this class and b) write a letter of apology to them. Then you will c) pass it to the person you want to apologize to. Three things to do."

I suddenly hate creative writing class.

Obviously, I was going to write a letter to Belle. It was the worst thing I have ever done to anyone in this class. Actually, it was the only bad thing I have ever done to anyone in this class and it happened to be to my best friend.

I started doing a).

The worst thing I have ever done to someone is date her ex. He had dumped her for me and I just couldn't resist him. He was soooo hot. Argghh. Nevermind about that. My friend was sooo mad at me. She was my best friend, actually. So now I would just like to say 'I'm Sorry' to my friend – my best friend – Belle.

Now, to do b)

_Dear Belle,_

_I am so so so sorry if I hurt you. I just could not understand how I was supposed to _not _resist that hot hot hot body of his.. no no no I'm doing it again!! I'm thinking of _him _again! I know you're very pissed off at me and I apologize. I'm finding it very impossible to write this letter to you, since James is right there, two seats in front of me!! But yet, I feel like I want to hit him. And I just did! Did you see me throw that paper ball at him?? Hahahaha! You saw it! I can see you smiling. _

_Anyway, I just want to tell you that no matter how irresistable he is, I will still be your friend. I will not date him. And now I have to come clean to you that I have gone on a date with him. On Friday. Last Friday. We went to this fancy restaurant. I couldn't even pronounce the name. Everything was mostly meat. What a horrid restaurant. Sorry if you like that restaurant. But you don't even know which restaurant I'm talking about, because the name is too hard to pronounce, let alone write. I wonder who thought of that name._

_Anyways.. back to us. Please, just say what I have to do to make you accept me as a friend again, and I'll do it. But I won't do anything stupid, like walk around school naked, of course. Sorry if that was what you had in mind. _

_Lots of Love,_

_Elizabeth_

Now, to do c). To me, this was going to be the hardest to do. So I got ready to give the letter to Belle.

-LY-

**Lunch – football field**

Elizabeth could not believe that the school allowed students to eat lunch at the football field. Her previous school didn't. They didn't have a football field either.

There wasn't many people at the football field. Just her and a few more students walking around the field or sitting on the bleachers. She unwrapped the tuna sandwhich her mom had packed for her. She took a disgusting bite of it. She hated tuna. She hated fish. She had told her mom lots of times but her mom never listened. Ever since her father died, all her mom could do was cry and not listen.

Her dad died a year ago, in a car accident. Her mom wanted to move, because their previous home brought too many painful memories.

She stared up at the sky. The sun stared back at her and she looked away. She heard a _click-clack _of high heels walking along hte bleachers. She could see a figure walking... towards her.

Elizabeth put down her sandwich and squinted to get a better look. It looked like..

"Hey," said Belle. She sat down next to Elizabeth. "I got your letter."

Elizabeth smiled. "Hey."

"I accept your apology. But.. you have to do something, to make me trust you again," said Belle.

Elizabeth threw her arms over Belle. "Of course. I'll do anything!"

Belle grinned. "I want you to go out with John Fowler, James' best friend. Don't deny it, I've seen the way you've looked at him!"

Elizabeth couldn't help but to blush. She _had _been looking at John in an I-like-you way. "Sure, I'll be glad to do it!"

"Great!" Belle said.

-LY-

**Epilogue – Five Years Later**

Elizabeth giggled. "Stop it, John! I'm ticklish!" she said as John kissed the ticklish spot at her neck.

"I know," John said, but kept on kissing.

He moved his lips up to her's. They shared a very passionate kiss.

"I love you," said Elizabeth.

"I love you too," said John and they continue to share that special moment.

-LY-

James put his arm around Belle. "I'm so glad we're back again. I missed having you as a girlfriend."

Belle laughed. "James, we broke up five years ago and got back. Why do you keep saying that?"

James shrugged. "I dunno, I guess I'm just lucky to have you back," he said and kissed her.

Belle returned the kiss and they shared that special kiss for a while in the middle of Times Square on Valentines' Day.

-LY-


End file.
